B    3 


MAR5E  CHAN 


THOMAS-NELSON-PAGE 


•^^^^^    ^ 
/     / 


I 

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MARSE    CHAN 


"  /  see  Marse  Chan  read  dat  letter  over  an'  over.' 


>    *    *    *     MARSE    CHAN 

A  TALE  OF  OLD  VIRGINIA  * 
BY  THOMAS  NELSON  PAGE 
ILLUSTRATED  BY  W.  T.  SMEDLEY 


CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 
NEW  YORK,    1892      ,      ^      i 


Copyright,  1887,  1892,  by 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons 


TROW    DIRECTORY 

PRINTING  AND   BOOKBINDING  COMPANY 
NEW   YORK 


rj 


AI3 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


"  I  see  Marse  Chan  read  dat  letter  over  an  over." 

Frontispiece. 

"He  know  I  don    mean  nothiri   by  what  I  sez" 

Page  i. 

"  '  Now,  Sam,  from  dis  time  you  belong  to  yo  young 
Marse  Channin  ! ' 

Page  7. 

"  *  /  mek  you  a  present  to  yo'  fam  ly,  seh  !  ' 

Page  27. 

"  De    moon    come    out,  an     I  cotch    sight   on   her 
stanin  dyah  in  her  white  dress" 

Page  35. 

"  Miss   Anne  she  hed  done  tun  away  her  haid" 

Page  43. 

"Judy,    have   Marse    Chans   dawg  got   home?" 

Page  53. 


ONE  afternoon,  in  the  autumn  of  1872,  I  was 
riding  leisurely  down  the  sandy  road  that 
winds  along  the  top  of  the  water-shed  be- 
tween two  of  the  smaller  rivers  of  eastern  Virginia. 
The  road  I  was  travelling,  following  "the  ridge" 
for  miles,  had  just  struck  me  as  most  significant  of 
the  character  of  the  race  which  had  dwelt  upon  it  and 
whose  only  avenue  of  communication  with  the  outside 
world  it  had  formerly  been.  Their  once  splendid 
mansions,  now  fast  falling  to  decay,  appeared  to 
view  from  time  to  time,  set  back  far  from  the  road, 
in  proud  seclusion,  among  groves  of  oak  and  hick- 
ory, now  scarlet  and  gold  with  the  early  frost.  Dis- 
tance was  nothing  to  this  people ;  time  was  of  no 
consequence  to  them.  They  desired  but  a  level 


2  Marse  Chan 

path  in  life,  and  that  they  had,  though  the  way  was 
longer,  and  the  outer  world  strode  by  them  as  they 
dreamed. 

I    was   aroused   from    my    reflections    by    hearing 
some  one  ahead  of  me  calling,    cc  Heah  !  -  -  heah  - 
whoo-oop,  heah  !  " 

Turning  the  curve  in  the  road,  I  saw  just  before 
me  a  negro  standing,  with  a  hoe  and  a  watering-pot 
in  his  hand.  He  had  evidently  just  gotten  over  the 
" worm-fence"  into  the  road,  out  of  the  path  which 
led  zigzag  across  the  "old  field"  and  was  lost  to 
sight  in  the  dense  growth  of  sassafras.  When  I 
rode  up,  he  was  looking  anxiously  back  down  this 
path  for  his  dog.  So  engrossed  was  he  that  he  did 
not  even  hear  my  horse,  and  I  reined  in  to  wait  until 
he  should  turn  around  and  satisfy  my  curiosity  as  to 
the  handsome  old  place  half  a  mile  off  from  the  road. 

The  numerous  out-buildings  and  the  large  barns 
and  stables  told  that  it  had  once  been  the  seat  of 
wealth,  and  the  wild  waste  of  sassafras  that  covered 
the  broad  fields  gave  it  an  air  of  desolation  which 
greatly  excited  my  interest. 

Entirely  oblivious  of  my  proximity,  the  negro 
went  on  calling  "  Whoo-oop,  heah  !  "  until  along 
the  path,  walking  very  slowly  and  with  great  dignity, 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  3 

appeared  a  noble-looking  old  orange  and  white  setter, 
gray  with  age,  and  corpulent  with  excessive  feeding. 
As  soon  as  he  came  in  sight,  his  master  began  : 

"  Yes,  dat  you  !  You  gittin'  deaf  as  well  as 
bline,  I  s'pose  !  Kyarnt  heah  me  calling  I  reckon  ? 
Whyn't  yo'  come  on,  dawg  ?  " 

The  setter  sauntered  slowly  up  to  the  fence  and 
stopped,  without  even  deigning  a  look  at  the  speaker, 
who  immediately  proceeded  to  take  the  rails  down, 
talking  meanwhile : 

"  Now,  I  got  to  pull  down  de  gap,  I  s'pose !  Yo' 
so  sp'ilt  yo'  kyahn  hardly  walk.  Jes'  ez  able  to  git 
over  it  as  I  is  !  Jes'  like  white  folks — think  'cuz 
you's  white  and  I's  black,  I  got  to  wait  on  yo'  all  de 
time.  Ne'm  mine,  I  ain'  gwine  do  it !  " 

The  fence  having  been  pulled  down  sufficiently  low 
to  suit  his  dogship,  he  marched  sedately  through, 
and,  with  a  hardly  perceptible  lateral  movement  of 
his  tail,  walked  on  down  the  road.  Putting  up  the 
rails  carefully,  the  negro  turned  and  saw  me. 

"  Sarvent,  marster,"  he  said,  taking  his  hat  off. 
Then,  as  if  apologetically  for  having  permitted  a 
stranger  to  witness  what  was  merely  a  family  affair, 
he  added :  "  He  know  I  don'  mean  nothin'  by  what 
I  sez.  He's  Marse  Chan's  dawg,  an'  he's  so  ole  he 


4  Marse  Chan 

kyahn  git  long  no  pearter.  He  know  I'se  jes'  prod- 
jickin'  wid  *im." 

"Who  is  Marse  Chan?"  I  asked;  "  and  whose 
place  is  that  over  there,  and  the  one  a  mile  or  two 
back — the  place  with  the  big  gate  and  the  carved 
stone  pillars  ?  " 

"  Marse  Chan,"  said  the  darky,  "he's  Marse 
Channin' — my  young  marster ;  an'  dem  places — dis 
one's  WealFs,  an'  de  one  back  dyar  wid  de  rock  gate- 
pos's  is  ole  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin's.  Dey  don'  nobody 
live  dyar  now,  'cep'  niggers.  Arfter  de  war  some 
one  or  nurr  buyed  our  place,  but  his  name  done  kind 
o'  slipped  me.  I  nuver  hearn  on  him  befo';  I  think 
dey's  half-strainers.  I  don'  ax  none  on  'em  no  odds. 
I  lives  down  de  road  heah,  a  little  piece,  an'  I  jes' 
steps  down  of  a  evenin'  and  looks  arfter  de  graves." 

"Well,  where  is  Marse  Chan  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Hi !  don'  you  know  ?  Marse  Chan,  he  went  in 
de  army.  I  was  wid  'im.  Yo'  know  he  warn'  gwine 
an'  lef '  Sam." 

"Will  you  tell  me  all  about  it?"  I  said,  dis- 
mounting. 

Instantly,  and  as  if  by  instinct,  the  negro  stepped 
forward  and  took  my  bridle.  I  demurred  a  little  ; 
but  with  a  bow  that  would  have  honored  old  Sir 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  5 

Roger,  he  shortened  the  reins,  and  taking  my  horse 
from  me,  led  him  along. 

cc  Now  tell  me  about  Marse  Chan,"  I  said. 

"Lawd,  marster,  hit's  so  long  ago,  I'd  a'most 
forgit  all  about  it,  ef  I  hedn'  been  wid  him  ever 
sence  he  wuz  born.  Ez  'tis,  I  remembers  it  jes'  like 
'twuz  yistiddy.  Yo'  know  Marse  Chan  an'  me — 
we  wuz  boys  togerr.  I  wuz  older'n  he  wuz,  jes'  de 
same  ez  he  wuz  whitern  me.  I  wuz  born  like 
plantin'  corn  time,  de  spring  arfter  big  Jim  an'  de 
six  steers  got  washed  away  at  de  upper  ford  right 
down  dyar  b'low  de  quarters  ez  he  wuz  a-bringin'  de 
Chris'mas  things  home  ;  an'  Marse  Chan,  he  warn* 
born  tell  mos'  to  de  harves'  de  year  arfter  my  sister 
Nancy  married  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin's  Torm,  'bout 
eight  years  arfterwoods. 

"  Well,  when  Marse  Chan  wuz  born,  dey  wuz  de 
grettes'  doin's  at  home  you  ever  did  see.  De  folks 
all  hed  holiday,  jes'  like  in  de  Chris'mas.  Ole  mars- 
ter (we  didn'  call  'im  ole  marster  tell  arfter  Marse 
Chan  wuz  born — befo'  dat  he  wuz  jes'  de  marster, 
so) — well,  de  marster,  his  face  fyar  shine  wid  pleas- 
ure, an'  all  de  folks  wuz  mighty  glad,  too,  'cause  dey 
all  loved  ole  marster,  and  aldo'  dey  did  step  aroun' 
right  peart  when  de  marster  was  lookin'  at  'em,  dyar 


6  Marse  Chan 

warn'  nyar  ban'  on  de  place  but  what,  ef  he  wanted 
any  thin',  would  walk  up  to  de  back  poach,  an'  say  he 
warn'  to  see  de  marster.  An'  ev'ybody  wuz  talkin' 
'bout  de  young  marster,  an'  de  maids  an'  de  wimmens 
'bout  de  kitchen  wuz  sayin'  how  'twuz  de  purties' 
chile  dey  ever  see  ;  an'  at  dinner-time  de  mens  (all 
on  'em  hed  holiday)  come  roun'  de  poach  an'  ax  how 
de  missis  an'  de  young  marster  wuz,  an'  marster 
come  out  on  de  poach  an'  smile  wus'n  a  'possum,  an' 
sez,  c  Thankee  !  Bofe  doin'  fust  rate,  boys  ;  '  an' 
den  he  stepped  back  in  de  house,  sort  o'  laughin1  to 
hisse'f,  an'  in  a  minute  he  come  out  ag'in  wid  de 
baby  in  he  arms,  all  wropped  up  in  flannens  an' 
things,  an'  sez,  '  Heah  he,  boys.'  All  de  folks  den, 
dey  went  up  on  de  poach  to  look  at  'im,  drappin' 
dey  hats  on  de  steps  an'  scrapin'  dey  feets  ez  dey 
went  up.  An'  pres'n'y  marster,  lookin'  down  at  we 
all  chil'en  all  packed  togerr  down  dyah  like  a  parecel 
o'  sheep-burrs,  cotch  sight  o'  me  (he  knowed  my 
name,  'cause  I  use'  to  hole  he  hoss  fur  'im  some- 
times ;  but  he  didn'  know  all  de  chil'en  by  name, 
dey  wuz  so  many  on  'em),  an'  he  sez,  '  Come  up 
heah.'  So  up  I  goes  tippin',  skeered  like,  an'  de 
marster  sez,  '  Ain'  you  Mymie's  son  ? '  c  Yass, 
seh,'  sez  I.  '  Well,'  sez  he,  '  I'm  gwine  to  give  you 


"'Now,  Sam,  from   dis 


time  you    belong  to  yo*  young  Marse 
CJiannin' " 


A  Tale  of  Old,  Virginia  9 

to  yo'  young  Marse  Channin'  to  be  his  body-servant,' 
an'  he  put  de  baby  right  in  my  arms  (it's  de  truth 
I'm  tellin'  yo'  !),  an'  yo'  jes'  ought  to  a-heard  de 
folks  sayin',  c  Lawd  !  marster,  dat  boy'll  drap  dat 
chile  ! '  c  Naw,  he  won't,'  sez  marster  ;  c  I  kin  trust 
'im/  And  den  he  sez  :  'Now,  Sam,  from  dis  time 
you  belong  to  yo'  young  Marse  Channin'  ;  I  wan' 
you  to  tek  keer  on  'im  ez  long  ez  he  lives.  You 
are  to  be  his  boy  from  dis  time.  An'  now/  he  sez, 
c  carry  'im  in  de  house/  An'  he  walks  arfter  me  an' 
opens  de  do's  fur  me,  an'  I  kyars  'im  in  in  my  arms, 
an'  lays  'im  down  on  de  bed.  An'  from  dat  time  I 
was  tooken  in  de  house  to  be  Marse  Channin's  body- 
servant. 

"  Well,  you  nuver  see  a  chile  grow  so  ! 

"  Pres'n'y  he  growed  up  right  big,  an'  ole  marster 
sez  he  must  have  some  edication.  So  he  sont  'im  to 
school  to  ole  Miss  Lawry  down  dyar,  dis  side  o' 
Cun'l  Chahmb'lin's,  an'  I  use'  to  go  'long  wid  'im 
an'  tote  he  books  an'  we  all's  snacks ;  an'  when  he 
larnt  to  read  an'  spell  right  good,  an'  got  'bout  so-o 
big  (measuring  with  his  hand  a  height  of  some  three 
feet),  ole  Miss  Lawry  she  died,  an*  ole  marster  said 
he  mus'  have  a  man  to  teach  'im  an*  trounce  'im.  So 
we  all  went  to  Mr.  Hall,  whar  kep'  de  school-house 


io  Marse  Chan 


beyant  de  creek,  an'  dyar  we  went  ev'y  day, — 'cep 
Sat'd'ys  of  co'se,  an'  sich  days  ez  Marse  Chan  din' 
warn'  go,  an'  ole  missis  begged  'im  off. 

"  Hit  wuz  down  dyar  Marse  Chan  fust  took  no- 
ticement  o'  Miss  Anne. 

"  Mr.  Hall,  he  teach  gals  ez  well  ez  boys,  an'  Cun'l 
Chahmb'lin  he  sont  his  daughter  (dat's  Miss  Anne 
I'm  talkin'  about).  She  wuz  a  leetle  bit  o'  gal  when 
she  fust  come.  Yo'  see,  her  ma  wuz  dead,  an'  ole 
Miss  Lucy  Chahmb'lin,  she  lived  wid  her  brurr  an' 
keep'  house  for  'im ;  an'  he  wuz  so  busy  wid  poli- 
tics, he  didn'  have  much  time  to  spyar,  so  he  sont 
Miss  Anne  to  Mr.  Hall's  by  a  'ooman  wid  a  note. 

"  When  she  come  dat  day  in  de  school-house,  an' 
all  de  chil'en  looked  at  her  so  hard,  she  tu'n  right 
red,  an'  tried  to  pull  her  long  curls  over  her  eyes, 
an'  den  put  bofe  de  backs  of  her  little  han's  in  her 
two  eyes,  an'  begin  to  cry  to  herse'f  Marse  Chan 
he  was  settin'  on  de  een'  o'  de  bench  nigh  de  do',  an' 
he  jes'  retched  out  an'  put  he  arm  roun'  her  an' 
drawed  her  up  to  'im.  An'  he  kep'  whisperin'  to 
her,  an'  callin'  her  name,  an'  coddlin'  her;  an' 
pres'n'y  she  teck  her  han's  down  an'  begin  to  laugh. 

"  Well,  dey  'peared  to  tek'  a  gre't  fancy  to  each 
urr  from  dat  time.  Miss  Anne  she  warn'  nuttin*  but 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  n 

a  baby  hardly,  an'  Marse  Chan  he  wuz  a  good  big 
boy  'bout  mos'  thirteen  year  ole,  I  reckon.  How- 
s'ever,  dey  sut'n'y  wuz  sot  on  each  urr  an'  (yo'  heah 
me!)  ole  marster  an'  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  dey  'peared 
to  like  it  'bout  well  ez  de  chil'en.  Yo'  see,  Cun'l 
Chahmb'lin's  place  j'ined  ourn,  an'  it  looked  jes'  ez 
nat'chal  fur  dem  two  chil'en  to  marry  an'  mek  it 
one  plantation,  ez  it  did  fur  de  creek  to  run  down 
de  bottom  from  our  place  into  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin's. 
I  don'  rightly  think  de  chil'en  thought  'bout  gittin' 
mar  led,  not  den,  no  mo'n  I  thought  'bout  mar'yin 
Judy  when  she  wuz  a  little  gal  at  Cun'l  Chahm'blin's, 
runnin'  'bout  de  house,  huntin'  fur  Miss  Lucy's 
spectacles ;  but  dey  wuz  good  frien's  from  de  start. 
Marse  Chan  he  use'  to  kyar  Miss  Anne's  books  fur 
her  ev'y  day,  an'  ef  de  road  wuz  muddy  or  she  wuz 
tired,  he  use'  to  tote  her  ;  an'  'twarn'  hardly  a  day 
passed  dat  he  didn'  kyar  her  some'n'  to  school- 
apples  or  hick'y  nuts,  or  some'n'.  He  wouldn'  let 
none  o'  de  chil'en  tease  her,  nurr.  Heh !  One  day, 
one  o'  de  boys  poke'  he  finger  at  Miss  Anne,  and 
arfter  school  Marse  Chan  he  axed  'im  out  'roun'  hine 
de  school-house  out  o'  sight,  an'  ef  he  didn'  whup 


'im  ! 


(Marse  Chan,  he  wuz  de  peartes*  scholar  ole  Mr. 


12  Marse  Chan 


Hall  hed,  an'  Mr.  Hall  he  wuz  mighty  proud  on 
'im.  I  don'  think  he  use'  to  beat  'im  ez  much  ez  he 
did  de  urrs,  aldo'  he  wuz  de  head  in  all  debilment 
dat  went  on,  jes'  ez  he  wuz  in  sayin'  he  lessons.) 

tc  Heh !  one  day  in  summer,  jes'  fo'  de  school 
broke  up,  dyah  come  up  a  storm  right  sudden,  an' 
riz  de  creek  (dat  one  yo'  cross'  back  yonder),  an* 
Marse  Chan  he  toted  Miss  Anne  home  on  he  back. 
He  ve'y  off'n  did  dat  when  de  parf  wuz  muddy. 
But  dis  day  when  dey  come  to  de  creek,  it  had  done 
washed  all  de  lawgs  'way.  'Twuz  still  mighty  high, 
so  Marse  Chan  he  put  Miss  Anne  down,  an'  he  took 
a  pole  an'  waded  right  in.  Hit  took  'im  long  up  to 
de  shoulders.  Den  he  waded  back,  an'  took  Miss 
Anne  up  on  his  head  an'  kyared  her  right  over.  At 
fust  she  was  skeered  ;  but  he  tol'  her  he  could  swim 
an'  wouldn'  let  her  git  hu't,  an'  den  she  let  'im  kyar 
her  'cross,  she  hol'in'  his  han's.  I  warn'  'long  dat 
day,  but  he  sut'n'y  did  dat  thing ! 

"  Ole  marster  he  wuz  so  pleased  'bout  it,  he  giv' 
Marse  Chan  a  pony ;  an'  Marse  Chan  rid  'im  to 
school  de  day  arfter  he  come,  so  proud,  an'  sayin' 
how  he  wuz  gwine  to  let  Anne  ride  behine  'im. 
When  he  come  home  dat  evenin*  he  wuz  walkin'. 
c  Hi  !  where's  yo'  pony  ?  '  said  ole  marster.  '  Did  he 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  *3 

fling  you  ? '  c  I  give  'im  to  Anne/  says  Marse  Chan. 
'  She  liked  'im,  an' — I  kin  walk.'  '  Yes/  sez  ole 
marster,  laughin',  c  I  s'pose  you's  already  done  giv' 
her  yo'se'f,  an'  nex'  thing  I  know  you'll  be  givin'  her 
this  plantation  and  all  my  niggers/ 

"  Well,  about  a  fortnight  or  sich  a  matter  arfter 
dat,  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  sont  over  an'  invited  all  o'  we 
all  over  to  dinner,  an'  Marse  Chan  wuz  'spr.essaly 
named  in  de  note  whar  Ned  brought ;  an'  arfter  din- 
ner he  made  ole  Phil,  whar  wuz  his  ker'ige-driver, 
bring  roun'  Marse  Chan's  pony  wid  a  little  side- 
saddle on  'im,  an*  a  beautiful  little  haws  wid  a  bran'- 
new  saddle  an'  bridle  on  him  ;  an'  he  gits  up  an* 
meks  Marse  Chan  a  gre't  speech,  an*  presents  'im  de 
little  haws ;  an'  den  he  calls  Miss  Anne,  an'  she 
comes  out  on  de  poach  in  a  little  ridin'  frock,  an' 
dey  puts  her  on  her  pony,  an'  Marse  Chan  mounts 
his  haws,  an'  dey  goes  to  ride,  while  de  grown  folks 
is  a-settin'  on  de  poach  an'  a-laughin'  an'  chattin'  an' 
smokin'  dey  cigars. 

"  Dem  wuz  good  ole  times,  marster — de  bes'  Sam 
uver  see !  Dey  wuz,  in  fac'  !  Niggers  didn'  hed 
nothin'  '/  all  to  do — jes'  hed  to  'ten'  to  de  feedin'  an' 
cleanin'  de  hawses,  an'  doin'  what  de  marster  tell  'em 
to  do  ;  an'  when  dey  wuz  sick,  dey  had  things  sont 


H  Marse  Chan 

'em  out  de  house,  an'  de  same  doctor  come  to  see 
'em  whar  'ten'  to  de  white  folks  when  dey  wuz  po'ly, 
an'  all.  Dyar  warn'  no  trouble  nor  nuttin'. 

"  Well,  things  tuk  a  change  arfter  dat.  Marse 
Chan  he  went  to  de  bo'din'  school,  whar  he  use'  to 
write  to  me  constant.  Ole  missis  use'  to  read  me  de 
letters,  an'  den  I'd  git  Miss  Anne  to  read  'em  ag'in 
to  me  when  I'd  see  her.  He  use'  to  write  to  her 
too,  an'  she  use'  to  write  to  him  too  !  Den  Miss 
Anne  she  wuz  sont  off  to  school  too.  An'  in  de 
summer  time  dey'd  bofe  come  home,  an'  yo'  hardly 
know  wherr  Marse  Chan  lived  at  home  or  over  at 
Cun'l  Chahmb'lin's  !  He  wuz  over  dyah  constant ! 
'Twuz  al'ays  ridin'  or  fishin1  down  dyah  in  de  river ; 
or  sometimes  he'd  go  over  dyah,  an'  'im  an'  she'd  go 
out  an'  set  in  de  yard  onder  de  trees  ;  she  settin'  up 
mekin'  out  she  wuz  knittin'  some  sort  o'  bright- 
cullored  some'n',  wid  de  grarss  growin'  all  up  'g'inst 
her,  an'  her  hat  th'owed  back  on  her  neck,  an'  he 
readin'  to  her  out  books ;  an'  sometimes  dey'd  bofe 
read  out  de  same  book,  fust  one  an'  den  turr.  I  use' 
to  see  'em  !  Dat  wuz  when  dey  wuz  growin'  up 
like. 

"  Den  ole  marster  he  run  for  Congress,  an'  ole 
Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  he  wuz  put  up  to  run  'g'inst  ole 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  15 

marster  by  de  Dimicrats  ;  but  ole  marster  he  beat 
'im.  Yo'  know  he  wuz  gwine  do  dat !  Co'se  he 
wuz  !  Dat  made  ole  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  mighty 
mad,  and  dey  stopt  visitin'  each  urr  reg'lar,  like  dey 
had  been  doin'  all  'long.  Den  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  he 
sort  o'  got  in  debt,  an'  sell  some  o'  he  niggers,  an' 
dat's  de  way  de  fuss  begun.  Dat's  whar  de  lawsuit 
come  from.  Ole  marster  he  didn'  like  nobody  to 
sell  niggers,  an'  knowin'  dat  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  wuz 
sellin'  o'  his,  he  writ  an'  offered  to  buy  his  M'ria  an' 
all  her  chil'en,  'cause  she  hed  mar'ied  our  Zeek'yel. 
An'  don'  yo'  think,  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  axed  ole 
marster  mo'  'n  th'ee  niggers  wuz  wuth  fur  M'ria ! 
Befo'  old  marster  buy  her,  dough,  de  sheriff  come 
an'  levelled  on  M'ria  an'  a  whole  parecel  o'  urr  nig- 
gers. Ole  marster  he  went  to  de  sale,  an'  bid  for 
'em ;  but  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  he  got  some  one  to  bid 
'g'inst  ole  marster.  Dey  wuz  knocked  out  to  ole 
marster  dough,  an'  den  dey  hed  a  big  lawsuit,  an'  ole 
marster  was  agwine  to  co't,  off  an'  on,  fur  some 
years,  till  at  lars'  de  co't  decided  dat  M'ria  belongst 
to  ole  marster.  Ole  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  den  wuz  so 
mad  he  sued  ole  marster  for  a  little  slipe  o'  Ian' 
down  dyah  on  de  line  fence,  whar  he  said  belongst 
to  him.  Evy'body  knowed  hit  belongst  to  ole 


1 6  Marse  Cban 


marster.  Ef  yo'  go  down  dyah  now,  I  kin  show  it  to 
yo',  inside  de  line  fence,  whar  it  hed  done  been  uver 
sence  long  befo'  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  wuz  born.  But 
Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  was  a  mons'us  perseverin'  man, 
an*  ole  marster  he  wouldn'  let  nobody  run  over  'im. 
No,  dat  he  wouldn'  !  So  dey  wuz  agwine  down  to 
co't  about  dat,  fur  I  don'  know  how  long,  till  ole 
marster  beat  'im  agin. 

"  All  dis  time,  yo'  know,  Marse  Chan  wuz  agoin' 
back'ads  and  for'ads  to  college,  an'  wuz  growed  up  a 
ve'y  fine  young  man.  He  wuz  a  ve'y  likely  gent'- 
man  !  Miss  Anne  she  hed  done  mos*  growed  up  too 
— wuz  puttin'  her  hyar  up  like  ole  missis  use'  to  put 
hern  up,  an*  'twuz  jes'  ez  bright  ez  de  sorrel's  mane 
when  de  sun  cotch  on  it,  an'  her  eyes  wuz  gre't  big 
dark  eyes,  like  her  pa's,  on'y  bigger  an'  not  so  fierce, 
an'  'twarn'  none  o'  de  young  ladies  ez  purty  ez  she 
wuz.  She  an'  Marse  Chan  still  set  a  heap  o'  sto'  by 
one  'nurr,  but  I  don't  think  dey  wuz  easy  wid  each 
urr  ez  when  he  used  to  tote  her  home  from  school 
on  he  back.  Marse  Chan  he  use'  to  love  de  ve'y 
groun'  she  walked  on,  dough,  is  my  'pinion.  Heh ! 
His  face  'twould  light  up  whenever  she  come  into 
chu'ch,  or  anywhere,  jes'  like  de  sun  hed  come  th'oo 
a  chink  on  it  sudden'y. 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  1 7 

"  Den  ole  marster  los'  he  eyes.  D'  yo'  ever  heah 
'bout  dat  ?  Heish  !  Didn'  yo'  ? 

cc  Well,  one  night  de  big  barn  cotch  fire.  De 
stables,  yo'  know,  wuz  onder  de  big  barn,  an'  all  de 
hawses  wuz  in  dyah.  Hit  'peared  to  me  like  'twarn' 
no  time  befo'  all  de  folks  an*  de  neighbors  dey  come, 
an'  dey  wuz  a-totin'  water,  an'  a-tryin'  to  save  de  po' 
critters,  an'  dey  got  a  heap  on  'em  out ;  but  de 
ker'ige-hawses  dey  would  n'  come  out,  an*  dey  wuz 
a-runnin'  back' ads  an'  for' ads  inside  de  stalls,  a-nik- 
erin'  an'  a-screamin',  like  dey  knowed  dey  time  hed 
come.  Yo'  could  heah  'em  in  dyah  so  pitiful,  an' 
pres'n'y  ole  marster  said  to  Ham  Fisher  (he  wuz  de 
ker'ige-driver),  'Go  in  dyah,  Ham,  an'  try  to  save 
'em ;  don'  let  'em  bu'n  to  death.' 

"  An*  Ham  he  went  right  in. 

"  An'  jes'  arfter  he  got  in,  de  shed  whar  it  hed  fus' 
cotch  fell  in,  an'  de  sparks  shot  'way  up  in  de  air ; 
an'  Ham  didn'  come  back  ;  an'  de  fire  begin  to  lick 
out  onder  de  eaves  over  whar  de  ker'ige-hawses' 
stalls  wuz.  An'  all  of  a  sudden  ole  marster  tu'ned 
an'  kissed  ole  missis,  who  wuz  standin'  dyah  nigh 
him,  wid  her  face  jes'  ez  white  ez  a  sperit's,  an',  befo' 
anybody  knowed  what  he  wuz  gwine  do,  jumped 
right  in  de  do',  an'  de  smoke  come  po'in'  out  behine 


1 8  Marse  Chan 


'im.  Well,  seh !  I  nuver  'spects  to  heah  tell  Jedg- 
ment  sich  a  soun'  ez  de  folks  set  up  !  Ole  missis- 
she  jes'  drapt  down  on  her  knees  in  de  mud  an' 
prayed  out  loud. 

"  Hit  'peared  like  her  pra'r  wuz  heard;  for  in  a 
minit,  right  out  de  same  do',  kyain'  Ham  Fisher  in 
his  arms,  come  ole  marster,  wid  his  clo's  all  blazin'. 
Dey  fling  water  on  'im,  an*  put  'im  out ;  an',  ef  you 
b'lieve  me,  yo'  wouldn'  a-knowed  'twuz  ole  marster. 

"  Yo'  see,  he  hed  done  find  Ham  Fisher  done  fall 
down  in  de  smoke  right  by  the  ker'ige-haws'  stalls, 
whar  he  sont  him,  an'  he  hed  to  tote  'im  back  in  his 
arms  th'oo  de  fire  what  hed  done  cotch  de  front  part 
o'  de  stable,  an'  to  keep  de  flame  from  gittin'  down 
Ham  Fisher'  th'ote  he  hed  teck  off  his  own  hat  and 
mashed  it  all  over  Ham  Fisher'  face,  an'  he  hed  kep' 
Ham  Fisher  from  bein'  so  much  bu'nt;  but  he  wuz 
bu'nt  dreadful  !  He  beard  an'  hyar  wuz  all  nyawed 
off,  an'  he  face  an'  han's  an'  neck  wuz  scorified  tur- 
rible.  Well,  he  jes'  laid  Ham  Fisher  down,  an'  then 
he  kind  o'  staggered  for'ad,  an*  ole  missis  ketch'  'im 
in  her  arms. 

"  Ham  Fisher,  he  warn'  bu'nt  so  bad,  an'  he  got 
out  in  a  month  or  two  ;  an'  arfter  a  long  time,  ole 
marster  he  got  well,  too  ;  but  he  wuz  always  stone 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  19 

blind  arfter  that.     He  nuver  could  see  none  from 
dat  night. 

"Marse  Chan  he  corned  home  from  college  to- 
reckly,  an*  he  sut'n'y  did  miss  ole  marster  faithful— 
jes'  like  a  'ooman. 

"  Den  he  teck  charge  of  de  plantation  arfter  dat ; 
an'  I  use'  to  wait  on  'im  jes'  like  when  we  wuz  boys 
togerr ;  an'  sometimes  we'd  slip  off  an'  have  a  fox- 
hunt, an'  he'd  be  jes'  like  he  wuz  in  ole  times,  befo' 
ole  marster  got  bline,  an'  Miss  Anne  Chahmb'lin 
stopt  comin'  over  to  our  house,  an'  settin'  onder  de 
trees,  readin*  out  de  same  book. 

cc  He  sut'n'y  wuz  good  to  me.  Nuttin  nuver 
made  no  diffunce  'bout  dat  !  He  nuver  hit  me  a 
lick  in  his  life — an'  nuver  let  nobody  else  do  it,  nurr. 

"  I  'members  one  day,  when  he  wuz  a  leetle  bit  o' 
boy,  ole  marster  hed  done  tole  we  all  chil'en  not  to 
slide  on  de  straw-stacks  ;  an'  one  day  me  an'  Marse 
Chan  thought  ole  marster  hed  done  gone  'way  from 
home.  We  watched  him  git  on  he  haws  an'  ride  up 
de  road  out  o'  sight,  an*  we  wuz  out  in  de  field  a-slid- 
in'  an'  a-slidin',  when  up  comes  ole  marster.  We 
start  to  run ;  but  he  hed  done  see  us,  an'  he  called 
us  to  come  back  ;  an'  sich  a  whuppin'  ez  he  did  gi' 
us  ! 


20  Marse  Chan 


"  Fust  he  teck  Marse  Chan,  an'  den  he  teched  me 
up.  He  nuver  hu't  me,  but  in  co'se  I  wuz  a-hol- 
lerin'  ez  hard  ez  I  could  stave  it,  'cause  I  knowed 
dat  wuz  gwine  mek  him  stop.  Marse  Chan  he  hed'n 
open  he  mouf  long  ez  ole  marster  was  tunin'  'im  ; 
but  soon  ez  he  commence  warmin'  me  an'  I  begin  to 
holler,  Marse  Chan  he  bu'st  out  cryin',  an'  stept 
right  in  befo'  ole  marster,  an'  ketchin'  de  whup, 
said  : 

"  '  Stop,  seh  !  Yo'  sha'n't  whup  'im  ;  he  b'longs 
to  me,  an'  ef  you  hit  'im  another  lick  I'll  set  'im 
free  !  ' 

"  I  wish  yo'  hed  see  ole  marster  !  Marse  Chan 
he  warn*  mo'n  eight  years  ole,  an'  dyah  dey  wuz — 
ole  marster  stan'in'  wid  he  whup  raised  up,  an*  Marse 
Chan  red  an'  cryin',  hol'in'  on  to  it,  an'  sayin'  I 
b'longst  to  'im. 

"  Ole  marster,  he  raise'  de  whup}  an'  den  he  drapt 
it,  an'  breke  out  in  a  smile  over  he  face,  an'  he 
chuck'  Marse  Chan  onder  de  chin,  an'  tu'n  right 
roun'  an'  went  away,  laughin*  to  hisse'f,  an'  I  heah 
'im  tellin'  ole  missis  'bout  it  dat  evenin',  an'  laughin' 
'bout  it. 

"  'Twan'  so  mighty  long  arfter  dat  when  dey  fust 
got  to  talkin'  'bout  de  war.  Dey  wuz  a-dictatin' 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  21 

back'ads  an'  for'ds  'bout  it  fur  two  or  th'ee  years,  'fo' 
it  come  sho'  nuff,  you  know.  Ole  marster,  he  wuz 
a  Whig,  an'  of  co'se  Marse  Chan  he  teck  after  he  pa. 
Cun'l  Chahmb'lin,  he  wuz  a  Dimicrat.  He  wuz  in 
favor  of  de  war,  an'  ole  marster  and  Marse  Chan  dey 
v/uz  agin'  it.  Dey  wuz  a-talkin'  'bout  it  all  de  time, 
an'  purty  soon  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  he  went  about 
ev'vywhar  speakin'  an'  noratin'  'bout  Ferginia  ought 
to  secede ;  an'  Marse  Chan  he  wuz  picked  up  to  talk 
agin'  'im.  Dat  wuz  de  way  dey  come  to  fight  de 
duil.  I  sut'n'y  wuz  skeered  fur  Marse  Chan  dat 
mawnin',  an'  he  was  jes'  ez  cool ! 

"  Yo'  see,  it  happen  so :  Marse  Chan  he  wuz  a- 
speakin'  down  at  de  Deep  Creek  Tavern,  an'  he 
kind  o'  got  de  bes'  of  ole  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin.  All 
de  white  folks  laughed  an'  hoorawed,  an*  ole  Cun'l 
Chahmb'lin — my  Lawd !  I  t'ought  he'd  Y  bu'st,  he 
was  so  mad.  Well,  when  it  come  to  his  tu'n  to 
speak,  he  jes'  light  into  Marse  Chan.  He  call  'im 
a  traitor,  an'  a  ab'litionis',  an'  I  don'  know  what  all. 
Marse  Chan,  he  jes'  kep'  cool  till  de  ole  Cun'l  light 
into  he  pa.  Ez  soon  ez  he  name  ole  marster,  I  seen 
Marse  Chan  sort  o'  lif  up  he  head.  D'  yo'  ever  see 
a  haws  rar  he  head  up  right  sudden  at  night  when  he 
see  somethin'  comin'  to'ds  'im  from  de  side  an'  he 


22  Marse  Chan 


don'  know  what  'tis  ?  Ole  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  he 
went  right  on.  He  say  ole  marster  hed  teach  Marse 
Chan  ;  dat  ole  marster  wuz  a  wuss  ab'litionis'  dan 
he  son.  I  looked  at  Marse  Chan,  an'  sez  to  myse'f : 
'  Yo  Gord  !  old  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  better  min'  !  '  an' 
I  hedn'  got  de  wuds  out,  when  ole  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin 
scuse'  ole  marster  o'  cheatin'  'im  out  o'  he  niggers, 
an'  stealin'  piece  o'  he  Ian' — dat's  de  Ian'  I  tole  you 
'bout.  Well,  seh,  nex'  thing  I  knowed,  I  heahed 
Marse  Chan — hit  all  happen  right  'long  togerr,  jis' 
like  lightnin'  and  thunder  when  they  hit  right  at 
you  ! — I  heah  'im  say  : 

"  '  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin,  what  you  says  is  false,  an' 
yo'  knows  it  to  be  so.  You  have  wilfully  slandered 
one  of  de  pures'  an'  nobles'  men  Gord  ever  made, 
an'  nuttin'  but  yo'  gray  hyars  protects  you.' 

"Well,  ole  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin,  he  ra'ed  an'  he 
pitch'd !  He  say  he  wan'  too  ole,  an'  he'd  show  'im 
so. 

"  c  Ve'y  well,"  says  Marse  Chan. 

"  De  meetin'  breke  up  den.  I  wuz  hol'in'  de 
hawses  out  dyar  in  de  road  by  de  een'  o'  de  poach, 
an'  I  see  Marse  Chan  talkin'  an'  talkin'  to  Mr.  Gor- 
don an'  anurr  gent'man,  an'  den  he  come  out  an'  got 
on  de  sorrel  an'  galloped  off.  Soon  ez  he  got  out  o' 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  23 

sight  he  pulled  up,  an'  we  walked  along  tell  we  come 
to  de  road  whar  leads  off  to'ds  Mr.  Harbour's.  He 
wuz  de  big  lawyer  o'  de  country.  Dyar  he  tu'ned 
off.  All  dis  time  he  hedn'  said  a  wud,  'cep'  to  kind 
o'  mumble  to  hisse'f  now  an*  den.  When  we  got  to 
Mr.  Barbour's,  he  got  down  an*  went  in.  (Dat  wuz 
in  de  late  winter ;  de  folks  wuz  jes'  beginnin'  to 
plough  fur  corn.)  He  stayed  dyar  'bout  two  hours, 
an'  when  he  come  out  Mr.  Barbour  come  out  to  de 
gate  wid  'im  an'  shake  han's  arfter  he  got  up  in  de 
saddle.  Den  we  all  rode  off. 

"  'Twuz  late  den — good  dark ;  an'  we  rid  ez  hard 
ez  we  could,  tell  we  come  to  de  ole  school-house  at 
ole  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin's  gate.  When  we  got  deah, 
Marse  Chan  got  down  an'  walked  right  slow  'roun' 
de  house.  Arfter  lookin'  roun'  a  little  while  an' 
tryin'  de  do*  to  see  eft  wuz  shet,  he  walked  down  de 
road  tell  he  got  to  de  creek.  He  stop'  dyar  a  little 
while  an*  picked  up  two  or  three  little  rocks  an' 
frowed  'em  in,  an*  pres'n'y  he  got  up  an'  we  come  on 
home.  Ez  he  got  down,  he  tu'ned  to  me,  an',  rub- 
bin'  de  sorrel's  nose,  he  said  :  '  Have  'em  well  fed, 
Sam  ;  I'll  want  'em  early  in  de  mawnin'.' 

<c  Dat  night  at  supper  he  laugh  an'  talk,  an'  he  set 
at  de  table  a  long  time.  Arfter  ole  marster  went  to 


24  Marse  Chan 


bed,  he  went  in  de  charmber  an'  set  on  de  bed  by  'im 
talkin'  to  'im  an'  tellin'  'im  'bout  de  meetin'  an'  e'vy- 
thing  ;  but  he  ain'  nuver  mention  ole  Cun'l  Chahm- 
b'lin's  name.  When  he  got  up  to  come  out  to  de 
office  in  de  yard,  whar  he  slept,  he  stooped  down  an' 
kissed  'im  jes'  like  he  wuz  a  baby  layin'  dyah  in  de 
bed,  an'  he'd  hardly  let  ole  missis  go  at  all. 

<c  I  knowed   some'n  wuz   up,   an'    nex   mawnin'   I 
called  'im  early  befo'  light,  like  he  tole  me,  an'  he 
dressed  an'  come  out  pres'n'y  jes'  like  he  wuz  gwine 
to  church.     I  had  de  hawses  ready,  an*  we  went  out 
de  back  way  to'ds  de  river. 
<c  Ez  we  rid  along,  he  said : 
"  '  Sam,  you  an'  I  wuz  boys  togerr,  wa'n't  we  ? ' 
cc  c  Yes/  sez  I,  '  Marse  Chan,  dat  we  wuz.' 
"  c  You   have  been   ve'y  faithful   'to  me/  sez  he, 
*  an'  I  have  seen  to  it  that  you  are  well  provided  fur. 
You  want  to  marry  Judy,  I  know,  an'  you'll  be  able 
to  buy  her  ef  yo'  want  to.' 

"  Den  he  tole  me  he  wuz  gwoine  to  fight  a  duil, 
an'  in  case  he  should  git  shot,  he  had  set  me  free  an' 
giv'  me  nuff  to  tek  keer  o'  me  an'  my  wife  when  I  git 
her  ez  long  ez  we  lived.  He  said  he'd  like  me  to 
stay  an'  tek  keer  o'  ole  marster  an'  ole  missis  ez  long 
ez  dey  lived,  an'  he  said  it  wouldn'  be  ve'y  long,  he 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  25 

reckoned.  Dat  wuz  de  on'y  time  he  voice  broke — 
when  he  said  dat ;  an*  I  couldn'  speak  a  wud,  my 
th'oat  choked  me  so. 

"  When  we  come  to  de  river,  we  tu'ned  right  up 
de  bank,  an'  arfter  ridin'  'bout  a  mile  or  sich  a  mot- 
ter,  we  stopped  whar  dey  wuz  a  little  clearin'  wid 
elder  bushes  on  one  side  an*  two  big  gum-trees  on 
de  urr,  an'  de  sky  wuz  all  red,  an'  de  water  down 
tow'ds  whar  the  sun  wuz  comin*  wuz  jes'  like  de  sky. 

"  Pres'n'y  Mr.  Gordon  he  come,  wid  a  'hogany 
box,  'bout  so  big,  'fore  'im,  an'  he  got  down,  an' 
Marse  Chan  tole  me  to  tek  all  de  hawses  an'  go 
'roun'  behine  de  bushes  whar  I  tell  you  'bout — off  to 
one  side ;  an'  'fore  I  got  'roun'  dyah,  ole  Cun'l 
Chahmb'lin  an'  Mr.  Hennin  an'  Dr.  Call  come  ridin' 
from  t'urr  way,  to'ds  ole  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin's.  When 
dey  hed  tied  dey  hosses,  de  urr  gent'mens  went  up 
to  whar  Mr.  Gordon  wuz,  an'  arfter  some  chattin' 
Mr.  Hennin  step'  off  'bout  fur  ez'  cross  dis  road,  or 
mebbe  it  mout  be  a  little  fur'er  ;  an'  den  I  see  'em 
th'oo  de  bushes  loadin'  de  pistils,  an'  talk  a  little 
while  ;  an*  den  Marse  Chan  an'  ole  Cun'l  Chahmb'- 
lin walked  up  an'  dey  gin'  'em  de  pistils  in  dey  han's, 
an*  Marse  Chan  he  stand  wid  his  face  right  tow'ds  de 
sun.  I  seen  it  shine  on  him  jes'  ez  it  come  up  over 


26  Marse  Chan 


de  low  groun's,  an'  he  look'  like  he  do  sometimes 
when  he  come  out  of  church. 

"  I  wuz  so  skeered  I  couldn'  say  nuttin'.  Ole 
Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  could  shoot  fust  rate,  an'  Marse 
Chan  he  nuver  missed. 

"  Den  I  heahed  Mr.  Gordon  say,  '  Gent'mens,  is 
yo*  ready  ? '  and  bofe  on  'em  sez,  c  Ready,'  jes'  so. 

"An'  he  sez,  *  Fire,  one,  two' — an'  ez  he  sez 
'  one/  ole  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  raised  he  pistil  an'  shoot 
right  at  Marse  Chan.  De  ball  went  th'oo  his  hat  : 
I  seen  he  hat  sort  o'  settle  on  he  head  ez  de  bullit 
hit  it!  an'  he  jes'  tilted  his  pistil  up  in  de  a'r  an' 
shot — bang  ;  an'  ez  de  pistil  went  '  bang,1  he  sez  to 
Cun'l  Chahmb'lin,  c  I  mek  you  a  present  to  yo' 
fam'ly,  seh  !  ' 

"  Well,  dey  had  some  talkin'  arfter  dat.  I  didn't 
git  rightly  what  't  wuz  ;  but  it  'peared  like  Cun'l 
Chahmb'lin  he  warn't  satisfied,  an'  wanted  to  have 
anurr  shot.  De  seconds  dey  wuz  talkin',  an'  pres'n'y 
dey  put  de  pistils  up,  an'  Marse  Chan  an'  Mr.  Gor- 
don shook  han's  wid  Mr.  Hennin  an'  Dr.  Call,  an* 
come  an'  got  on  dey  hawses.  An'  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin 
he  got  on  his  hawse  an'  rode  away  wid  de  urr  gent'- 
mens,  lookin'  like  he  did  de  day  befo'  when  all  de 
people  laughed  at  'im. 


"  '  /  mek  you  a  present  to  ytf  family,  seh  !  ' " 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  29 

<CI  b'lieve  ole  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  wan'  to  shoot 
Marse  Chan,  anyways  ! 

c<  We  come  on  home  to  breakfast,  I  totin'  de  box 
wid  de  pistils  befo'  me  on  de  roan.  Would  you 
b'lieve  me,  seh,  Marse  Chan  he  ain'  nuver  said  a  wud 
'bout  it  to  ole  marster  or  nobody  !  Ole  missis  didn' 
fin'  out  'bout  it  for  mo'n  a  month,  an*  den,  Lawd  ! 
how  she  did  cry  and  kiss  Marse  Chan ;  an*  ole  mars- 
ter, aldo'  he  nuver  say  much,  he  wuz  jes'  ez  please' 
ez  ole  missis  :  he  call'  me  in  de  room  an'  made  me 
lock  de  do'  an'  tole  'im  all  'bout  it,  an'  when  I  got 
th'oo  he  gi'  me  five  dollars  an'  a  pyar  of  breeches. 

"  But  ole  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  he  nuver  did  furgive 
Marse  Chan,  an'  Miss  Anne  she  got  mad  too. 
Wimmens  is  mons'us  onreasonable  nohow.  Dey's 
jes'  like  a  catfish  :  you  can  n'  tek  hole  on  'em  like 
urr  folks,  an'  when  you  gits  'm  yo'  can  n'  always 
hole  'em. 

"  What  meks  me  think  so  ?  Heap  o'  things — dis  : 
Marse  Chan  he  done  gi'  Miss  Anne  her  pa  jes'  ez 
good  ez  I  gi'  Marse  Chan's  dawg  sweet  'taters,  an*  she 
git  mad  wid  'im  ez  if  he  hed  kill  'im  stid  o'  sen'in 
'im  back  to  her  dat  mawnin'  whole  an'  soun'.  B'lieve 
me  !  she  wouldn'  even  speak  to  him  arfter  dat. 

"  Don'  I  'member  dat  mawnin'  ! 


3°  Marse  Chan 


"  We  wuz  gwine  fox-huntin',  'bout  six  weeks  or 
sich  a  matter  arfter  de  dull,  an'  we  meet  Miss  Anne 
ridin'  'long  wid  anurr  lady  an'  two  gent'mens  whar 
wuz  stayin'  at  her  house.  Dyah  wuz  always  some 
one  or  nurr  dyah  co'tin'  her.  Well,  dat  mawnin'  we 
meet  'em  right  in  de  road.  'Twuz  de  fust  time 
Marse  Chan  had  see  her  sence  de  duil,  an'  he  raises 
he  hat  ez  he  pahss,  an'  she  looks  right  at  'im  wid  her 
head  up  in  de  yair  like  she  nuver  see  'im  befo'  in  her 
born  days ;  an'  when  she  comes  by  me,  she  sez, 
'  Good-mawnin',  Sam  !  '  Gord  !  I  nuver  see  nut- 
tin'  like  de  look  dat  come  on  Marse  Chan's  face 
when  she  pahss  Jim  like  dat.  He  gi'  de  sorrel  a 
pull  dat  fotch  'im  back  settin  down  in  de  san'  on  he 
hanches.  He  ve'y  lips  wuz  white.  I  tried  to  keep 
up  wid  'im,  but  'twarn  no  use.  He  sont  me  back 
home  pres'n'y,  an'  he  rid  on.  I  sez  to  myself,  '  Cun'l 
Chahmb'lin,  don'  yo'  meet  Marse  Chan  dis  mawnin.' 
He  ain'  bin  lookin'  roun'  de  ole  school-house,  whar 
he  an'  Miss  Anne  use*  to  go  to  school  to  ole  Mr. 
Hall  togerr,  to-day.  He  won'  stan1  no  prodjickin' 
to-day. ' 

"  He  nuver  come  home  dat  night  tell  'way  late, 
an'  ef  he'd  been  fox-huntin'  it  mus'  ha'  been  de  ole 
red  whar  lives  down  in  de  greenscum  mashes  he'd 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  31 

been  chasin'.  De  way  de  sorrel  wuz  gormed  up  wid 
sweat  an'  mire  sut'n'y  did  hu't  me.  He  walked  up 
to  de  stable  wid  he  head  down  all  de  way,  an'  Fse  seen 
'im  go  eighty  miles  of  a  winter  day,  an'  prance  into 
de  stable  at  night  jes'  ez  fresh  ez  ef  he  hed  jes'  can- 
tered over  to  ole  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin's  to  supper.  I 
nuver  see  a  haws  beat  so  sence  I  knowed  de  fetlock 
from  de  fo'lock,  an'  bad  ez  he  wuz  he  want  ez  bad  ez 
Marse  Chan. 

"  Whew  !  he  didn'  git  over  dat  thing,  seh — he 
nuver  did  git  over  it ! 

"  De  war  come  on  jes'  den,  an'  Marse  Chan  wuz 
elected  cap'n  ;  but  he  wouldn'  tek  it.  He  said  Fir- 
ginia  hadn'  seceded,  an'  he  wuz  gwine  stan'  by  her. 
Den  dey  'lected  Mr.  Gordon  cap'n. 

"  I  sut'n'y  did  wan'  Marse  Chan  to  tek  de  place, 
cuz  I  knowed  he  wuz  gwine  tek  me  wid  'im.  He 
wan'  gwine  widout  Sam.  An'  beside,  he  look  so  po' 
an'  thin,  I  thought  he  wuz  gwine  die. 

cc  Of  co'se,  ole  missis  she  heared  'bout  it,  an'  she 
meet  Miss  Anne  in  de  road,  an'  cut  her  jes'  like 
Miss  Anne  cut  Marse  Chan.  Ole  missis,  she  wuz 
proud  ez  anybody ! 

"So  we  wuz  mo*  strangers  dan  ef  we  hadn'  live'  in 
a  hunderd  miles  of  each  urr.  An'  Marse  Chan  he 


32  Marse  Chan 


wuz  gittin'  thinner  an*  thinner,  an*  Firginia  she  come 
out,  an'  den  Marse  Chan  he  went  to  Richmond  an' 
listed,  an'  come  back  an'  sey  he  wuz  a  private,  an' 
he  didn'  know  whe'r  he  could  tek  me  or  not.  He 
writ  to  Mr.  Gordon,  hows'ever,  an'  'twuz  'cided  dat 
when  he  went  I  wuz  to  go  'long  an'  wait  on  him  an' 
de  cap'n  too.  I  didn'  min'  dat,  yo'  know,  long  ez  I 
could  go  wid  Marse  Chan,  an'  I  like'  Mr.  Gordon, 
anyways. 

cc  Well,  one  night  Marse  Chan  come  back  from 
de  offis  wid  a  telegram  dat  say,  'Come  at  once/  so 
he  wuz  to  start  next  mawnin'.  He  uniform  wuz  all 
ready,  gray  wid  yaller  trimmin's,  an'  mine  wuz  ready 
too,  an'  he  had  ole  marster's  sword,  whar  de  State  gi' 
'im  in  de  Mexikin  war;  an'  he  trunks  wuz  all  packed 
wid  ev'rything  in  'em,  an'  my  chist  was  packed  too, 
an'  Jim  Rasher  he  druv  'em  over  to  de  depo'  in  de 
waggin,  an'  we  wuz  to  start  nex'  mawnin'  'bout  light. 
Dis  wuz  'bout  de  las'  o'  spring,  you  know. 

"  Dat  night  ole  missis  made  Marse  Chan  dress  up 
in  he  uniform,  an'  he  sut'n'y  did  look  splendid,  wid 
he  long  mustache  an'  he  wavin'  hyah  an'  he  tall  rig- 
ger. 

"  Arfter  supper  he  come  down  an'  sez :  '  Sam,  I 
wan'  you  to  tek  dis  note  an'  kyar  it  over  to  Cun'l 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  33 

Chahmb'lin's,  an'  gi'  it  to  Miss  Anne  wid  yo'  own 
ban's,  an'  bring  me  wud  what  she  sez.  Don'  let  any 
one  know 'bout  it,  or  know  why  you've  gone.'  '  Yes, 
seh,'  sez  I. 

"  Yo1  see,  I  knowed  Miss  Anne's  maid  over  at  ole 
Cun'l  Chahmb'lin's — dat  wuz  Judy, — an'  I  knowed  I 
could  wuk  it.  So  I  tuk  de  roan  an'  rid  over,  an' 
tied  'im  down  de  hill  in  de  cedars,  an'  I  wen'  'roun' 
to  de  back  yard.  'Twuz  a  right  blowy  sort  o'  night ; 
de  moon  wuz  jes'  risin',  but  de  clouds  wuz  so  big  it 
didn'  shine  'cep  th'oo  a  crack  now  an'  den.  I  soon 
foun'  my  gal,  an'  arfter  tellin'  her  two  or  three  lies 
'bout  herse'f,  I  got  her  to  go  in  an'  ax  Miss  Anne  to 
come  to  de  do'.  When  she  come,  I  gi'  her  de  note, 
an'  arfter  a  little  while  she  bro't  me  anurr,  an'  I  tole 
her  good-by,  an'  she  gi'  me  a  dollar,  an'  I  come  home 
an'  gi'  de  letter  to  Marse  Chan.  He  read  it,  an'  tole 
me  to  have  de  hawses  ready  at  twenty  minits  to  twelve 
at  de  corner  of  de  garden.  An'  jes'  befo'  dat  he  come 
out  ez  he  wuz  gwine  to  bed,  but  instid  he  come,  an* 
we  all  struck  out  to'ds  Cun'J  Chahmb'lin's.  When 
we  got  mos'  to  de  gate,  de  hawses  got  sort  o'  skeered, 
an'  I  see  dey  wuz  some'n  or  somebody  standin'  jes' 
inside  ;  an'  Marse  Chan  he  jumpt  off  de  sorrel  an' 
flung  me  de  bridle  and  he  walked  up. 


34  Marse  Cban 


fl  She  spoke  fust.  'Twuz  Miss  Anne  had  done 
come  out  dyah  to  meet  Marse  Chan,  an'  she  sez,  jes 
ez  cold  ez  a  chill,  *  Well,  seh,  I  granted  your  favor. 
I  wished  to  reliebe  myse'f  of  de  obligations  you 
placed  me  under  a  few  months  ago,  when  you  made 
me  a  present  of  my  father,  whom  you  fust  insulted 
an'  then  prevented  from  gittin'  satisfaction.' 

tc  Marse  Chan  he  didn'  speak  fur  a  minit,  an'  den 
he  said  :  '  Who  is  wid  you  ? '  (Dat  wuz  ev'y  wud.) 

"  cNo  one/  sez  she  ;   4 1  came  alone/ 

"  c  My  God!  '  sez  he,  '  you  didn'  come  all  through 
those  woods  by  yourse'f  at  this  time  o'  night?  ' 

" c  Yes,  I'm  not  afraid/  sez  she.  (An'  heah  dis 
nigger  !  I  don*  b'lieve  she  wuz.) 

"  De  moon  come'  out,  an1  I  cotch  sight  on  her 
stan'in  dyah  in  her  white  dress,  wid  de  cloak  she 
done  wrapped  herse'f  up  in  drapped  off  on  de  groun', 
an'  she  didn'  look  like  she  wuz  'feared  o'  nuttin'. 
She  wuz  mons'us  purty  ez  she  stood  dyah  wid  de 
green  bushes  behine  her,  an*  she  hed  jes'  a  few 
flowers  in  her  breas' — right  heah — and  some  leaves 
in  her  sorrel  hyah ;  an'  de  moon  come'  out  an' 
shined  down  on  her  hyah  an'  her  frock,  an'  peared 
like  de  light  wuz  jes'  stan'in  off  it  ez  she  stood  dyah 
lookin'  at  Marse  Chan  wid  her  head  tho'd  back,  jes' 


"•  De  moon  come  out,  an  I  cotcJi  sight  on  her  stariin  dyah  in  her 

white  dress" 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  37 

like  dat  mawnin'  when  she  pahss  Marse  Chan  in  de 
road  widout  speakin'  to  'im,  an*  sez  to  me,  *  Good- 
mawnin',  Sam/ 

"  Marse  Chan,  he  den  tole  her  he  hed  come  to  say 
good-by  to  her,  ez  he  wuz  gwine  'way  to  de  war  nex' 
mawnin'.  I  wuz  watchin'  on  her,  an'  I  thought, 
when  Marse  Chan  tole  her  dat,  she  sort  o'  started 
an'  looked  up  at  'im  like  she  wuz  mighty  sorry,  an' 
'peared  like  she  didn'  stan'  quite  so  straight  arfter 
dat.  Den  Marse  Chan  he  went  on  talkin'  right  fars' 
to  her  ;  an'  he  tole  her  how  he  had  loved  her  ever 
sence  she  wuz  a  little  bit  o'  baby  mos',  an'  how  he 
nuver  'membered  de  time  when  he  hedn'  hope'  to 
marry  her.  He  tole  her  it  wuz  his  love  for  her  dat 
hed  made  'im  stan'  fust  at  school  an'  collige,  an'  hed 
kep'  'im  good  an'  pure  ;  an'  now  he  was  gwine  'way, 
wouldn'  she  let  it  be  like  'twuz  in  ole  times,  an'  ef 
he  come  back  from  de  war  wouldn'  she  try  to  think 
on  him  ez  she  use'  to  when  she  wuz  a  little  guirl  ? 

"Marse  Chan  he  had  done  been  talkin'  so  serious, 
he  hed  done  tek  Miss  Anne'  han',  an'  wuz  lookin' 
down  in  her  face  like  he  wuz  list'nin'  wid  he  eyes. 

"  Arfter  a  minit  Miss  Anne  she  said  somethin', 
an'  Marse  Chan  he  cotch  her  urr  han'  an'  sez  : 

"  c  But  if  you  love  me,  Anne  ?  ' 


38  Marse  Chan 


<c  When  he  said  dat,  she  turned  her  head  'way 
from  'im,  an'  wait'  a  minit,  an'  den  she  said — right 
clear  : 

"'But  I  don'  love  yo'.  (Jes'  dem  th'ee  wuds  !) 
De  wuds  fall  right  slow — like  dirt  falls  out  a  spade 
on  a  coffin  when  yo'  's  buryin'  anybody,  an'  seys, 
'  Uth  to  uth.'  Marse  Chan  he  jes'  let  her  hand  drap, 
an'  he  stiddy  hisse'f  'g'inst  de  gate-pos'  an'  he  didn' 
speak  torekly.  When  he  did  speak,  all  he  sez  wuz : 

£C  c  I  mus'  see  yo'  home  safe.' 

"  I  'clar,  marster,  I  didn'  know  'twuz  Marse 
Chan's  voice  tell  I  look  at  'im  right  good.  Well, 
she  wouldn'  let  'im  go  wid  her.  She  jes'  wrap'  her 
cloak  roun'  her  shoulders,  an'  wen'  'long  back  by 
herse'f,  widout  doin'  more'n  jes'  to  look  up  once  at 
Marse  Chan  leanin'  dyah  'g'inst  de  gate-pos'  in  he 
sowger  clo's,  wid  he  eyes  on  de  groun'.  She  said 
'  Good-by '  sort  o'  sorf,  an'  Marse  Chan,  widout 
lookin'  up,  shake  han's  wid  her,  an'  she  wuz  done 
gone  down  de  road.  Soon  ez  she  got  'mos'  'roun  de 
curve,  Marse  Chan  he  followed  her,  keepin'  onder 
de  trees  so  ez  not  to  be  seen,  an'  I  led  de  hawses  on 
down  de  road  behine  'im.  He  kep'  'long  behine  her 
tell  she  wuz  safe  in  de  house,  an'  den  he  come  an' 
got  on  he  haws,  an'  we  all  come  home. 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  39 

"  Nex'  mawnin'  we  all  went  off  to  j'ine  de  army. 
An'  dey  wuz  a-drillin'  an'  a-drillin'  all  'bout  for  a 
while  an'  we  went  'long  wid  all  de  res'  o'  de  army, 
an'  I  went  wid  Marse  Chan  an'  clean  he  boots  an* 
look  arfter  de  tent,  an'  tek  keer  o'  him  an'  de  hawses. 
An*  Marse  Chan,  he  wan't  a  bit  like  he  use'  to  be,  at 
leas'  'cep'  when  dyah  wuz  gwine  to  be  a  fight.  Den 
he'd  peartin'  up,  an'  he  alwuz  rid  at  de  head  o'  de 
company,  'cause  he  wuz  tall ;  an1  hit  wan'  on'y  in 
battles  whar  all  his  company  wuz  dat  he  went,  but 
he  use'  to  volunteer  whenever  de  cun'l  wanted  any- 
body to  fine  out  anythin',  an'  'twuz  so  dangersome 
he  didn'  like  to  mek  one  man  go  no  sooner'n  anurr, 
yo'  know,  an'  ax'd  who'd  volunteer.  He  'peared  to 
like  to  go  prowlin'  aroun'  'mong  dem  Yankees,  an' 
he  use*  to  tek  me  wid  'im  whenever  he  could.  Yes, 
seh,  he  sut'n'y  wuz  a  good  sowger  !  He  didn'  mine 
bullets  no  more'n  he  did  so  many  draps  o'  rain. 
But  I  tell  you  Sam  use*  to  be  pow'ful  skeered  some- 
times. It  jes'  use'  to  'pear  like  fun  to  him.  In 
camp  he  use'  to  be  so  sorrerful  he'd  hardly  open  he 
mouf.  You'd  a'  tho't  he  wuz  seekin',  he  used  to 
look  so  moanful ;  but  jes'  le'  'im  git  into  danger, 
an'  he  use'  to  be  like  old  times— jolly  an'  laughin' 
like  when  he  wuz  a  boy. 


4°  Marse  Chan 


c(  When  Cap'n  Gordon  got  he  leg  shoot  off,  dey 
mek  Marse  Chan  cap'n  on  de  spot,  'cause  one  o'  de 
lieutenants  got  kilt  de  same  day,  an'  turr  one  (named 
Mr.  Ronny)  wan'  no  'count,  an*  all  de  company  said 
Marse  Chan  wuz  de  man. 

"An*  Marse  Chan  he  wuz  jes'  de  same.  He 
didn*  nuver  mention  Miss  Anne's  name,  but  I 
knowed  he  wuz  thinkin'  on  her  constant.  One 
night  he  wuz  settin'  by  de  fire  in  camp,  an'  Mr. 
Ronny — he  wuz  de  secon'  lieutenant — got  to  talkin' 
'bout  ladies,  an'  he  say  all  sorts  o'  things  'bout  'em, 
an'  I  see  Marse  Chan  kinder  lookin'  mad  ;  an'  de 
lieutenant  mention  Miss  Anne's  name.  He  hed 
been  courtin'  Miss  Anne  'bout  de  time  Marse  Chan 
fit  de  duil  wid  her  pa,  an'  Miss  Anne  hed  kicked 
'im,  dough  he  wuz  mighty  rich,  'cause  he  warn'  nut- 
tin'  but  a  half-strainer,  an*  'cause  she  like  Marse 
Chan,  I  believe,  dough  she  didn'  speak  to  'im  ;  an' 
Mr.  Ronny  he  got  drunk,  an'  'cause  Cun'l  Chahm- 
b'lin  tole  'im  not  to  come  dyah  no  more,  he  got 
mighty  mad.  An'  dat  evenin'  I'se  tellin'  yo'  'bout, 
he  wuz  talkin'  by  de  camp-fire,  an'  he  mention  Miss 
Anne's  name.  I  see  Marse  Chan  tu'n  he  eye  'roun' 
on  'im  an'  keep  it  on  he  face,  an'  pres'n'y  Mr.  Ron- 
ny said  he  wuz  gwine  git  even  dyah  yit.  He  didn' 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  41 

mention  her  name  dat  time;  but  he  said  dey  wuz  all 
on  'em  a  parecel  of  stuck-up  'risticrats,  an'  her  pa 

wan*  no  gent'man  anyway,  an' 1  don*  know  what 

he  wuz  gwine  say  (he  nuver  said  it)  ;  fur  ez  he  got 
dat  far  Marse  Chan  riz  up  an'  hit  'im  a  crack,  an'  he 
fall  like  he  hed  been  hit  wid  a  fence-rail.  He  chal- 
lenged Marse  Chan  to  fight  a  duil,  an'  Marse  Chan 
he  excepted  de  challenge,  an'  dey  wuz  gwine  fight ; 
but  some  on  'em  tole  'im  Marse  Chan  wan'  gwine 
mek  a  present  o'  'im  to  his  fam'ly,  an'  he  got  some- 
body to  bre'k  up  de  duil ;  twan'  nuttin'  dough,  but 
he  wuz  'fred  to  fight  Marse  Chan.  An'  purty  soon 
he  leP  de  comp'ny. 

"  Well,  I  got  one  o'  de  gent'mens  to  write  Judy  a 
letter  for  me,  an'  I  tole  her  all  'bout  de  fight,  an' 
how  Marse  Chan  knock'  Mr.  Ronny  over  fur 
speakin'  discontemptuous  o'  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin,  an*  I 
tole  her  how  Marse  Chan  wuz  a-dyin'  fur  love  o' 
Miss  Anne.  An'  Judy  she  couldn'  read  an'  she  had 
to  git  Miss  Anne  to  read  de  letter  fur  her.  Den 
Miss  Anne  she  tells  her  pa,  an' — you  mind,  Judy 
tells  me  all  dis  arfterwards,  an'  she  say  when  Cun'l 
Chahmb'lin  hear  'bout  it,  he  wuz  settin'  on  de  poach, 
an'  he  set  still  a  good  while,  an'  den  he  sey  to  his- 
se'f: 


42  Marse  Chan 


cc  f  Well,  he  earn'  hep  bein  a  Whig/ 

"  An'  den  he  gits  up  an'  walks  up  to  Miss  Anne 
an'  looks  at  her  right  hard ;  an'  Miss  Anne  she  hed 
done  tu'n  away  her  haid  an'  wuz  makin'  out  like  she 
wuz  fixin'  a  rose-bush  'g'inst  de  poach  ;  an'  when 
her  pa  kep'  lookin'  at  her,  her  face,  Judy  say,  got 
jes'  de  color  o'  de  roses  on  de  bush,  an'  pres'n'y  her 
pa  sez : 

"'Anne!' 

"  An'  she  tu'ned  roun',  an'  sez  :   '  Sir  ? ' 

"  An'  he  sez,  '  Do  yo'  want  'im  ?  ' 

4CAn'  she  sez,  *  Yes,'  an'  put  her  head  on  he 
shoulder  an'  begin  to  cry  ;  an'  he  sez  : 

"  c  Well,  I  won't  stan'  between  yo'  no  longer. 
Write  to  'im  an'  say  so.' 

"  We  didn'  know  nuttin'  'bout  dis  not  den.  We 
wuz  a-fightin'  an'  a-fightin'  all  dat  time:  an'  come  one 
day  a  letter  to  Marse  Chan,  an'  I  see  'im  start  to 
read  it  in  his  tent  onder  de  cedar  tree,  an'  he  face  hit 
look  so  cu'iousome,  an'  he  han's  trembled  so  I 
couldn'  mek  out  what  wuz  de  motter  wid  'im.  An' 
he  foF  de  letter  up  an'  wen'  out  an'  wen'  way  down 
'hine  de  camp,  an'  stayed  dyah  'bout  nigh  a  hour. 
Well,  seh,  I  wuz  on  de  lookout  for  'im  when  he 
come  back,  an',  fo'  Gord  !  ef  he  face  didn'  shine 


"  Miss  Anne  she  hed  done  tun  away  her  haid" 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  45 

like  a  angel'  !  I  say  to  myse'f,  c  Um'm  !  ef  de 
glory  o'  Gord  am'  done  shine  on  'im  !  '  An*  what 
yo'  'spose  'twuz  ? 

"  He  tuk  me  wid  'im  dat  evenin',  an'  he  tell  me 
he  hed  done  git  a  letter  from  Miss  Anne,  an'  Marse 
Chan  he  eyes  look'  like  gre't  big  stars,  an*  he  face 
wuz  jes'  like  'twuz  dat  mawnin'  when  de  sun  riz  up 
over  de  low  groun',  an'  I  see  'im  stan'in1  dyah  wid 
de  pistil  in  he  han',  lookin'  at  it,  an*  not  knowin* 
but  what  it  mout  be  de  lars'  time,  an'  he  done  mek 
up  he  mine  not  to  shoot  ole  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin  fur 
Miss  Anne's  sake,  whah  writ  'im  de  letter. 

"  He  foF  de  letter  wha'  was  in  his  han'  up,  an' 
put  it  in  he  inside  pocket — right  dyah  on  de  lef ' 
side ;  an'  den  he  tole  me  he  tho't  mebbe  we  wuz 
gwine  hev  some  warm  wuk  in  de  nex'  two  or 
th'ee  days,  an'  arfter  dat  ef  Gord  speared  'im  he'd 
git  a  leave  o'  absence  fur  a  few  days,  an'  we'd  go 
home. 

"  Well,  dat  night  de  orders  come,  an'  we  all  hed 
to  git  over  to'ds  Romney  ;  an'  we  rid  all  night  till 
'bout  light ;  an'  we  halted  right  on  a  little  creek,  an' 
we  stayed  dyah  till  mos'  breakfas'  time,  —  but  we 
didn'  had  no  breakfast, — an'  I  see  Marse  Chan  set 
down  on  de  groun'  'hine  a  bush  an'  read  dat  letter 


46  Marse  Chan 


over  an'  over.  I  watch  'im,  an'  de  battle  wuz  a-goin' 
on,  but  we  had  orders  to  stay  'hine  de  hill,  an'  ev'y 
now  an'  den  de  bullets  would  clip  de  limbs  o'  de 
trees  right  over  us,  an'  one  o'  dem  big  shells  what 
goes  '  Awhar — awhar — awkar  is  you!'  would  fall 
right  'mong  us ;  but  Marse  Chan  he  didn'  mine  it 
no  mo'n  nuttin'  !  Den  it  'peared  to  git  closer  an' 
thicker,  an'  Marse  Chan  he  calls  me,  an'  I  crep'  up, 
an'  he  sez  : 

"cSam,  we'se  goin'  to  win  in  dis  battle,  an'  den 
we'll  go  home  an'  git  married ;  an'  I'm  goin'  home 
wid  a  star  on  my  collar.'  An'  den  he  sez,  c  Ef  I'm 
wounded,  kyah  me  home,  yo'  hear  ? '  An'  I  sez, 
'  Yes,  Marse  Chan.' 

"  Well,  jes'  den  dey  blowed  '  boots  an'  saddles,' 
an'  we  mounted  ;  an'  de  orders  come  to  ride  'roun' 
de  slope,  an'  Marse  Chan's  comp'ny  wuz  de  secon', 
an'  when  we  got  'roun'  dyah,  we  wuz  right  in  it. 
Hit  wuz  de  wust  place  uver  dis  nigger  got  in  !  An' 
dey  said,  '  Charge  'em  !  '  an'  my  king !  ef  uver  you 
see  bullets  fly,  dey  did  dat  day.  Hit  wuz  jes'  like 
hail  ;  an'  we  wen'  down  de  slope  (I  'long  wid  de 
res')  an'  up  de  hill  right  to'ds  de  cannons,  an'  de  fire 
wuz  so  strong  dyah  (dey  hed  a  whole  rigiment  o'  in- 
fintrys  layin*  down  dyah  onder  de  guns)  our  lines 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  47 

sort  o'  broke  an'  stop  ;  an'  de  cun'l  was  kilt,  an'  I 
b'lieve  dey  wuz  jes'  'bout  to  bre'k  all  to  pieces,  when 
Marse  Chan  rid  up  'an  cotch  holt  de  fleg  and  hollers, 
c  Foller  me  !  '  an'  rid  strainin'  up  de  hill  'mong  de 
cannons.  I  seen  'im  when  he  went,  de  sorrel  four 
good  lengths  ahead  o'  ev'y  urr  hoss,  jes'  like  he  use' 
to  be  in  a  fox-hunt,  an*  de  whole  rigiment  clamorin' 
right  arfter  'im.  Yo'  ain'  nuver  heah  thunder ! 
Fust  thing  I  knowed,  de  roan  roll'  head  over  heels 
an'  flung  me  up  'g'inst  de  bank  like  yo'  chuck  a 
nubbin  over  'g'inst  de  foot  o'  de  corn  pile.  An 
dat's  what  kep'  me  from  bein'  kilt,  I  'spects.  Judy 
she  say  she  thinks  'twuz  Providence,  but  I  thinks 
'twuz  de  bank.  In  co'se,  Providence  put  de  bank 
dyah,  but  how  come  Providence  nuver  saved  Marse 
Chan  ?  When  I  look  'roun',  de  roan  wuz  layin' 
dyah  by  me,  stone  dead,  wid  a  cannon-ball  gone 
'mos'  th'oo  him,  an'  our  men  hed  done  swep'  dem  on 
t'urr  side  from  de  top  o'  de  hill.  'Twan  mo'n  a 
minit,  de  sorrel  come  gallupin'  back  wid  his  mane 
flyin',  an'  de  rein  hangin'  down  on  one  side  to  his 
knee.  'Dyah!'  says  I,  c  fo'  Gord !  I  'specks  dey 
done  kill  Marse  Chan,  an'  I  promised  to  tek  care  on 
him/ 

"I  jumped  up   an'  run  over  de  bank,  an*  dyah, 


48  Marse  Chan 


wid  a  whole  lot  o'  dead  mens,  an'  some  not  dead 
yit,  onder  one  o'  de  guns  wid  de  fleg  still  in  he  han', 
an'  a  bullet  right  th'oo  he  body,  lay  Marse  Chan.  I 
tu'n  'im  over  an*  call  'im,  '  Marse  Chan  !  '  but  'twan' 
no  use,  he  wuz  done  gone  home,  sho'  'nuff. 

"  I  pick'  'im  up  in  my  arms  wid  de  fleg  still  in  he 
han',  an'  toted  'im  back  jes'  like  I  did  dat  day  when 
he  wuz  a  baby,  an*  ole  marster  gin'  'im  to  me  in  my 
arms,  an*  sey  he  could  trus'  me,  an'  tell  me  to  tek 
keer  on  'im  long  ez  he  lived.  I  kyah'd  'im  'way 
off  de  battlefiel'  out  de  way  o'  de  balls,  an'  I  laid  'im 
down  onder  a  big  tree  till  I  could  git  somebody  to 
ketch  de  sorrel  for  me.  He  was  cotched  arfter  a 
while,  an*  I  hed  some  money,  so  I*  got  some  pine 
plank  an'  made  a  coffin  dat  evening  an'  wrapt  Marse 
Chan's  body  up  in  de  fleg,  an'  put  'im  in  de  coffin ; 
but  I  didn'  nail  de  top  on  strong,  'cause  I  knowed 
ole  missis'  wan'  see  'im ;  an'  I  got  a'  ambulance 
an'  set  out  for  home  dat  night.  We  reached  dyah 
de  nex'  evein',  arfter  travellin'  all  dat  night  an'  all 
nex'  day. 

cc  Hit  'peared  like  somethin'  hed  tole  ole  missis 
we  wuz  comin'  so  ;  for  when  we  got  home  she  wuz 
waitin'  for  us — done  drest  up  in  her  best  Sunday- 
clo'es,  an'  stan'n'  at  de  head  o'  de  big  steps,  an'  ole 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  49 

marster  settin'  dyah  bline  in  his  big  cheer  —  ez  we 
druv  up  de  hill  to'ds  de  house,  I  drivin'  de  ambulance 
an'  de  sorrel  leadin'  long  behine  wid  de  stirrups  crost 
over  de  saddle. 

cc  She  come  down  to  de  gate  to  meet  us.  We 
took  de  coffin  out  de  ambulance  an'  kyah'd  it  right 
into  de  big  parlor  wid  de  pictures  in  it,  whar  dey 
use'  to  dance  in  ole  times  when  Marse  Chan  wuz  a 
schoolboy,  an'  Miss  Anne  Chahmb'lin  use'  to  come 
over,  an'  go  wid  ole  missis  into  her  chamber  an'  tek 
her  things  off.  In  dyah  we  laid  de  coffin  on  two  o' 
de  cheers,  an'  ole  missis  nuver  said  a  wud  ;  she  jes' 
looked  so  ole  an'  white. 

"  When  I  had  tell  'em  all  'bout  it,  I  tu'ned  right 
'roun'  an'  rid  over  to  Cun'l  Chahmb'lin's,  'cause  I 
knowed  dat  wuz  what  Marse  Chan  he'd  'a'  wanted 
me  to  do.  I  didn'  tell  nobody  whar  I  was  gwine, 
'cause  yo'  know,  none  on  'em  hadn'  nuver  speak  to 
Miss  Anne,  not  sence  de  duil,  an'  dey  didn'  know 
'bout  de  letter. 

"When  I  rid  up  in  de  yard,  dyah  wuz  Miss  Anne 
a-stan'in'  on  de  poach  watchin'  me  ez  I  rid  up.  I 
tied  my  hoss  to  de  fence,  an'  walked  up  de  par£ 
She  knowed  by  de  way  I  walked  dyah  wuz  som'thin' 
de  motter,  an*  she  wuz  mighty  pale.  I  drapt  my 


50  Marse  Chan 


cap  down  on  de  een'  o'  de  steps  an'  went  up.  She 
nuver  opened  her  mouf;  jes'  stan'  right  still  an' 
keep  her  eyes  on  my  face.  Fust,  I  couldn'  speak  ; 
den  I  cotch  my  voice,  an'  I  say,  '  Marse  Chan,  he 
done  got  he  furlough.' 

"  Her  face  was  mighty  ashy,  an'  she  sort  o'  shook, 
but  she  didn'  fall.  She  tu'ned  roun'  an'  said,  '  Git 
me  de  ker'ige  ! '  Dat  wuz  all. 

"When  de  ker'ige  come  roun'  she  hed  put  on 
her  bonnet,  an'  wuz  ready.  Ez  she  got  in,  she  sey 
to  me,  '  Hev  yo'  brought  him  home  ? '  an'  we  drove 
'long,  I  ridin'  behine. 

"  When  we  got  home,  she  got  out,  an'  walked  up 
de  big  walk — up  to  de  poach  by  herse'f. 

"Ole  missis  hed  done  fin'  de  letter  in  Marse 
Chan's  pocket,  wid  de  love  in  it,  while  I  wuz  'way, 
an'  she  wuz  a-waitin'  on  de  poach.  Dey  sey  dat  wuz 
de  fust  time  ole  missis  cry  when  she  fin'  de  letter, 
an'  dat  she  sut'n'y  did  cry  over  hit,  pintedly. 

"Well,  seh,  Miss  Anne  she  walks  right  up  de 
steps,  mos'  up  to  ole  missis  stan'in'  dyah  on  de 
poach,  an'  jes'  falls  right  down  mos'  to  her,  on  her 
knees  fust,  an'  den  flat  on  her  face  right  on  de 
flo',  ketchin'  at  ole  missis'  dress  wid  her  two  han's 
— so. 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia  51 

"  Ole  missis  stood  for  'bout  a  minit  lookin'  down 
at  her,  an'  den  she  drapt  down  on  de  flo'  by  her,  an' 
took  her  in  bofe  her  arms. 

"  I  couldn'  see,  I  wuz  cryin'  so  myse'f,  an'  ev'y- 
body  wuz  cryin'.  But  dey  went  in  arfter  a  while  in 
de  parlor,  an'  shet  de  do' ;  an'  I  heahd  'em  say, 
Miss  Anne  she  tuk  de  coffin  in  her  arms  an'  kissed 
it,  an'  kissed  Marse  Chan,  an'  call'  'im  by  his  name, 
an'  her  darlin',  an'  ole  missis  leP  her  cryin'  in  dyah 
tell  some  on  'em  went  in,  an'  found  her  done  faint 
on  de  flo'. 

"  Judy  she  tell  me  she  heah  Miss  Anne  when  she 
axed  ole  missis  mout  she  wear  mo'nin'  fur  'im.  I 
don'  know  how  dat  is  ;  but  when  we  buried  'im 
nex'  day,  she  wuz  de  one  whar  walked  arfter  de  cof- 
fin, holdin'  ole  marster,  an'  ole  missis  she  walked 
next  to  'em. 

"  Well,  we  buried  Marse  Chan  dyah  in  de  ole 
grabeyard,  wid  de  fleg  wrapped  roun'  'im,  an'  he 
face  lookin'  like  it  did  dat  mawnin'  down  in  de 
low  groun's,  wid  de  new  sun  shinin'  on  it  so  peace- 
ful. 

<c  Miss  Anne  she  nuver  went  home  to  stay  arfter 
dat;  she  stay  wid  ole  marster  an'  ole  missis  ez  long 
ez  dey  lived.  Dat  warn'  so  mighty  long,  'cause  ole 


52  Marse  Chan 


marstcr  he  died  dat  Fall,  when  dey  wuz  fallerin'  fur 
wheat — I  had  jes'  married  den — an'  ole  missis  she 
warn'  long  behine  him.  We  buried  her  by  him  next 
summer.  Miss  Anne  she  went  in  de  hospitals  to- 
reckly  after  ole  missis  died  ;  an'  jes  b'fo'  Richmond 
fall  she  come  home  sick  wid  de  fever.  Yo'  nuver 
wud  'a'  knowed  her  fur  de  same  ole  Miss  Anne. 
She  wuz  light  ez  a  piece  o'  peth,  an'  so  white,  'cep' 
her  eyes  an*  her  sorrel  hyah,  an'  she  kep'  on  gittin' 
whiter  an'  weaker.  Judy  she  sut'n'y  did  nuss  her 
faithful.  But  she  nuver  got  no  betterment  !  De 
fever  an'  Marse  Chan's  bein'  kilt  dataway  hed  done 
strain  her,  an*  she  died  jes'  fo'  de  folks  wuz  sot 
free. 

"  So  we  buried  Miss  Anne  right  by  Marse  Chan, 
in  a  place  whar  ole  missis  hed  tole  us  to  leave,  an' 
dey's  bofe  on  'em  sleep  side  by  side  over  in  de  ole 
grabeyard  at  home  now. 

u  An'  will  yo'  please  tell  me,  marster  ?  Dey  tells 
me  dat  de  Bible  sey  dyah  won*  be  marryin'  nor  givin' 
in  marriage  in  heaven,  but  I  don'  b'lieve  it  signifies 
dat — does  you  ?  " 

I  gave  him  the  comfort  of  my  earnest  belief  in 
some  other  interpretation,  together  with  several 
spare  c<  eighteen-pences,"  as  he  called  them,  for 


A  Tale  of  Old  Virginia 


53 


which  he  seemed  humbly  grateful.  And  as  I  rode 
away  I  heard  him  calling  across  the  fence  to  his  wife, 
who  was  standing  in  the  door  of  a  small  whitewashed 
cabin,  near  which  we  had  been  standing  for  some 
time  : 

"  Judy,  have  Marse  Chan's  dawg  got  home  ?  " 


STORED  AT  NRLF 


THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  SANTA  CRUZ 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  DATE  stamped  below. 


M 


MAR  1  6  197i 


50m-6,'67(H2523s8)2373 


PS2514.M3  1892 


3  2106  00207  842! 


